Business shouldn’t have to be this complicated: A look at unnecessary business complexities

Companies in industries as diverse as consumer and industrial products, banking, IT and telecom looking to sustain growth and reduce risk will naturally evolve towards a high degree of business complexity. The level of complexity will be directly correlated with the range of products and services offered, the intricacies of the operations, and the organizational structures deployed. Not surprisingly, complexity (both visible and hidden) come with an expensive price tag including unnecessary input, production, and selling costs as well as operational lethargy. Companies that can eliminate needless complexity and prevent its return will build margins, increase agility and improve resource allocation.

Cutting complexity is a significant enterprise-wide opportunity for organizations. Complexity reduction projects can produce more than $10-million in annual savings by eliminating labour redundancies, consolidating raw material inputs and optimizing supply chain networks. Moreover, indirect benefits such as higher productivity, fewer errors, and better employee engagement were forecasted to generate up to twice the amount of direct savings. The Boston Consulting Group estimates firms with the right strategies and cost transparency can realize a 25% to 100% increase in profit margins.

Excessive complexity is often found in organizations with the following traits:

A strong ‘customer is king’ mission

Many companies go overboard satisfying customers with little regard to the long-term organizational impact. Managers regularly offer new products, features and marketing programs to customers as specials or targeted against small niche segments. Inevitably, product proliferation occurs, and with it comes complexity challenges around inventory management, production scheduling, and sales efforts.

Matrix-intensive organizations

For many firms, a matrix structure is the default organizational model. As these companies grow, so does the complexity especially when the structures and processes are poorly designed and implemented (e.g., overlapping roles & responsibilities, inadequate information flows, unclear decision rights). Complexity is manifested through process redundancy, increased conflict over mandate & priorities, and slower decision making.

Complicated supply chains

Most large firms maintain a large (often global) network of suppliers plugged into a convoluted supply chain. Managing this network is inherently difficult in the best of times. However, one small change in the external environment like adding a new supplier or connecting to a new IT system can dramatically increase operational complexity within the firm.

It should be pointed out that not all complexity is created equal. Clearly, some actions and choices are needed to reduce business risk, maintain core competitiveness and retain important clients. However, problems arise when the revenue or value derived from these activities is far below the actual, enterprise-wide cost of delivering them. The management challenge is to separate the good complexity from the bad complexity and to deal with the bad.

To do this, managers need visibility into the problem, some strategies for tackling complexity across the organization and the fortitude to prevent its return.

1.Understand the problem

You can only fix what you can see. Conduct a product, department or company-wide review to comprehend the scope of the complexity problem. You could start by analyzing how each SKU within the product portfolio or extensive activity in a major value chain contributes to revenue, margin or enterprise-wide cost.

2.Identify the culprits

Complexity follows the “80/20” rule – typically, 80% of complexity will trace to 20% of products or activities. The analytical challenge is to identify these 20% margin-killers, while safeguarding “good” complexity like strategic stock keeping units (SKUs) or prudent risk management activities. Once the culprits are identified, managers should break them down into their component parts for analysis. For example, SKUs can be broken down into ingredient and packaging inputs. A value chain can be mapped into discrete processes, touches and approvals etc.

3.Start Pruning

Once managers have the data, it’s time to reduce the logjam. Below are three common strategies for cutting complexity:

Consolidate and streamline

With products, look for opportunities to eliminate poorly performing SKUs and to consolidate the number of raw material and packaging inputs that go into the remaining portfolio. To reduce operational complexity, consider ways to minimize or remove unnecessary touches in areas like internal reviews, team & communication practices, and sub-optimal processes.

Bundle to increase standardization

Some companies have the ability to standardize complexity. For example, automotive and PC makers have been successful at combining dozens of product features, styles etc. into standard consumer bundles that could more readily be manufactured, inventoried and sold in volume.

Price for complexity

Some businesses must learn to live with certain complexity due to key client or regulatory demands. In these situations, managers should look to recoup some of the cost of complexity by raising prices – and communicating these reasons to customers so as to manage churn.

Never going back

Pruning can often be the easy part. The bigger challenge might be ensuring the complexity doesn’t not return. Managers need to take steps like instituting disciplined product line management systems to make sure complexity does not creep back.

Although a strong customer focus, powerful supply chain or large product portfolio can differentiate a company, it can also burden it with undue complexity – much of it hidden and insidious. Firms can unlock significant savings and accelerate the speed of their business by systematically tackling the complexity challenge.

Mitchell Osak is managing director of Quanta Consulting Inc. Quanta has delivered a variety of strategy and organizational transformation consulting and educational solutions to global Fortune 1000 organizations. Mitchell can be reached at mosak@quantaconsulting.com